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| Chiffchaff |
Having spent a few recent days stood at the top of the Law, I decided it was time to try Riverside Nature Park again on Thursday the 19th of September. Although there was no 'target species' for the day, there is always the chance of something out of the ordinary passing through in mid-September, though a lot of the time, the park only seems to get common birds on migration - mixed finches, thrushes, Robins, Dunnocks, Meadow Pipits and Skylarks. However, as with birding in general, you just never know what you might chance upon. Autumn is also a good time for migrant waders to be on the move and with Spotted Redshank, Little Stint and Golden Plover still all on the 'needed' list for my #Dundee150 list, I would be carefully checking through the birds down in the bay, just in case.
I headed out around 45 minutes prior to sunrise. This was still slightly later than intended but in the grand scheme of things was unlikely to make much of a difference to what I might see/hear at the park. First onto the list for the morning were Herring Gull, Robin, Carrion Crow and Blackbird. Things went a bit quiet for the next 20 minutes with only a Blue Tit noted before Magpie and Woodpigeon went on the list a bit further on. Goldcrest at Loons Road was followed by Great Tit, Dunnock, Song Thrush and a Pipistrelle Bat at Balgay Cemetery. My final addition to the 'outwith the park' list was a Wren on Glamis Road.
I reached the park just after 0705. Herring Gull, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Carrion Crow, Robin, Blackbird, Woodpigeon, Wren, Greenfinch, Jay and a few Rabbits made for a busy first 10 minutes. A small flock of Lapwing were seen passing to the south. Moorhen was the only thing seen at the Lochan on my first visit of the morning there. The first skein of Pink Footed Goose passed overhead and as I checked the 'migrant trap' bushes near the wooden gate, Magpie, Meadow Pipit, Chiffchaff, Jackdaw, Black Headed Gull, Feral Pigeon and Goldfinch were all either seen in these bushes or passing overhead. I wandered further round to scan out over the bay. Oystercatcher, Grey Heron, Redshank, Curlew, Mallard, Common Gull, Great Black Backed Gull, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Black Tailed Godwit, Dunlin and Sandwich Tern were a fairly typical mix of species for the time of year but I failed to find anything unexpected in with them.
Reed Bunting was seen in flight - possibly another 'common migrant' rather than a resident bird, while a Cormorant flew downriver. Song Thrush and Skylark headed out over the bay, both species also being 'common migrants' at this time of year. More scanning of the bay and the wider river area got me Goosander, Teal and Little Egret while birds flitting around in the bushes and trees below included Long Tailed Tit, Blackcap and Bullfinch, with an a tussling pair of Grey Wagtails also new for the day. As I headed up the track through the nettles to the top of the hill, I flushed an unexpected young Pheasant. From the hill-top Pied Wagtail, Chaffinch, Collared Dove, Stock Dove, Starling, a late Swallow and Siskin were all noted. A small group of Wigeon over the bay were added at 0855. Dunnock and a pair of Rooks were the last additions for around an hour and a half, though that wasn't due to a lack of trying, with much scanning and checking during that time.
The first Buzzard of the day was picked up to the north at just after 1045 before another fairly lengthy lull. A distant loose flock of birds to the south, well out across the river towards Fife suggested Golden Plover in both the shape of the birds and the overall structure of the flock. There was a bird that hinted at Knot as another possibility visible in one of the photos taken, with the flock size also loosely mirroring the numbers in the bay of late of this species. One that got away, or Knot? With the sun finally putting in an appearance around lunchtime, out came a few butterflies with both Large White and Peacock being noted. At the Lochan were a few ovipositing Common Darter dragonflies and a Little Grebe - likely the same bird Keith had seen a few days before where the burn outflow enters the bay below the railway embankment. Despite more wandering and lots of scanning and checking I failed to find anything else before calling it a day at the park around 1330, having noted a total of 55 species, which was a decent enough haul for mid-September.
The walk home added Goldfinch, Sparrowhawk, Starling and Jackdaw to the 'outwith the park' list taking that total to a rather disappointing 16 species, though I suspect my concentration levels were not quite at their peak on what felt like a rather weary walk towards home. The combined total number of species for the day's birding was 57 species of birds plus 2 each of mammals and butterflies and a single dragonfly species. Although I once again failed to add anything new to my #Dundee150 list (unless Golden Plover is determined to be the mystery birds in the distant flock) there are more days when this is the end result rather than days when it is not at this time of year, and with a dwindling list of available, and semi-likely, birds this is not surprising. There's always next time though.....
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| Rabbit |
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| Jay |
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Reed Bunting
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Grey Wagtail
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| Starling |
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Pink Footed Goose
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Stock Dove
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| Wigeon |
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Black Tailed Godwit
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| Swallow |
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Golden Plover?
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| Chaffinch |
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| Buzzard |
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Pied Wagtail
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| Blackbird |
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| Chiffchaff |
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| Rook |
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| Skylark |
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| Peacock |
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Common Darter
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Little Grebe
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Common Darter
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Birds (outwith Riverside Nature Park) - Blackbird, Blue Tit, Carrion Crow, Dunnock, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Great Tit, Herring Gull, Jackdaw, Magpie, Robin, Song Thrush, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Woodpigeon, Wren.
Mammals (outwith Riverside Nature Park) - Pipistrelle Bat.
Birds (at Riverside Nature Park) - Blackbird, Blackcap, Black Headed Gull, Black Tailed Godwit, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Collared Dove, Common Gull, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunlin, Dunnock, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Black Backed Gull, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, Herring Gull, Jackdaw, Jay, Lapwing, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Little Egret, Little Grebe, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Meadow Pipit, Moorhen, Oystercatcher, Pheasant, Pied Wagtail, Pink Footed Goose, Redshank, Reed Bunting, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rook, Sandwich Tern, Siskin, Skylark, Song Thrush, Starling, Stock Dove, Swallow, Teal, Wigeon, Woodpigeon, Wren.
Butterflies (at Riverside Nature Park) - Large White, Peacock.
Dragonflies (at Riverside Nature Park) - Common Darter.
Mammals (at Riverside Nature Park) - Rabbit.
